Skipton Castle — Attraction in Skipton

Skipton Castle: Where History, Steep Prices & Steeper Staircases Await

We’ve passed through Skipton more times than we can count, but never actually stopped to explore… until today. We decided to finally visit the castle, mainly because we figured it was about time we saw what all those brown tourist signs were going on about.

The town centre was buzzing—it was market day, so there were plenty of people mooching around the old town, most of them either browsing or trying to remember where they parked.

Now, let’s talk castle: £12.40 per adult. Not exactly robbery, but your wallet might wince a little. Still, the grounds are beautifully kept—even if you don’t get access to the entire place. Yep, turns out some lucky people still live in part of the castle. Imagine living in a castle. I can’t even get my heating to work properly, and someone’s over there playing chess in a turret.

The self-guided tour takes you on a one-way journey through the older parts of the castle. You’ll go from spooky dungeon (which smells like you’d expect after 800 years of bad decisions) to the grand hall, and on to the lord and lady’s sleeping quarters, which are surprisingly cosy unless you’re over 5’8”.

The highlight? A massive tree slap bang in the middle of the courtyard—it’s like nature punched through medieval architecture just to say, “I was here first.”

A word of warning: the staircases are not for the faint of leg. They’re narrow, twisty, and the steps have been worn down by centuries of people doing exactly what you’re doing. So hold the handrail like your dignity depends on it (because it might).

There’s a little shop and tearoom on site. Bit on the pricey side, yes—but the tea’s hot, the scones are decent, and they let you sit down without buying an entire meal, which is rare these days.

At the far end of the grounds is a delightful sun trap—quiet, sheltered, and full of benches. Perfect for a picnic or a quick lie-down after wrestling those medieval stairs.

All in all, Skipton Castle is a great day out—especially if you like history, old stones, and the occasional ghost draft. A bit overpriced for its size, sure, but it’s well worth a one-off visit. Just don’t expect Hogwarts. This one’s...

Visited the castle Tuesday 20/8/24 It's a really lovely castle. Stunning in fact. Steeped in history. It's also interesting the fact it is owned by an Italian family for centuries. However, the admission charges are expensive for what there is to see. In 2016 a review from a visitor thought £7.50/£6.50 was expensive back then!!! Wonder what he would think now!! There are areas cordoned off now that feature in photos taken in previous years is deceiving. You can no longer go on the top and take in the view of the area. (Maybe, that is now as a safety precaution! ) It doesn't take long to go around the castle of empty rooms. There are Black printed framed notices in each room with a short description of how it was used. Also with it being a residential place where folks live, more of the castle and the grounds are a restricted area. They wouldn't want the general paying public tramping on the lawns I suppose. The leaflet given with sketches & numbers to follow when you have paid. Badly needs up dating. The numbers 1-40 defiantly not in tune for the present time. The way in, towards Conduit Court (That's a lovely peaceful part) is cordoned off by chains, to guide the public. The other side is the way out from the Conduit Court. There is no entry into the castle as stated in number 7 sketch You have to actually turn immediate left. (On the leaflet that's No.23. We missed the dungeon, that's No 26!!) The leaflet is the same as it was over 30 years ago. May the AA could help put it in a clear & correct order. Defiantly not a place to go for wheelchair users or pushchairs. You need to visit the Craven Museum.(5 star) They have very interesting artefacts to see and other things. No cost. Donation...

Really nice day out. It's clear that a lot of thought and planning has gone into the Castle. Things are well signposted and labelled and there are many areas with benches for people to rest, which I always think is lacking most places like this! The Castle itself is interesting, the rooms are mostly empty, but there is information on the walls about each room, and some rooms do have some items to look at. It's really nice to soak in the history of the castle, and imagine how life was as you walk around. The castle is pretty much as it was, and so there are many stone staircases to walk up and down, some are a bit tricky in places, and so it's definitely not accessible for some physical disabilities. I feel the entry price is a bit high for what you get to see, the website says it takes an hour and a half to walk around, but it took us about 35 minutes, and we weren't rushing. However, it's nice to support history, and it is clearly well maintaned and looked after, so I don't mind paying, I just probably wouldn't pay to go in again. The grounds are lovely, and have a few benches scattered around, as well as an indoor area with benches, so it would be ideal to take a picnic when you go. If you book online before you go, it's a...